As I've mentioned before I'm a 29 year old, unfit, 15 stone bloke (at least a stone of which is just excess bodyfat) who's been playing mainly Second Row in his first ever season of either code of Rugby. I've really enjoyed it but have found the 3 games where I've played the full 80 bloody knackering, especially the 2 in June/July in the boiling weather & completely open pitches & on the back-foot for both games. Going to keep on playing as it's a damn good laugh but being so late into it I can see me lasting more than 4-5 seasons, if that, plus it could depend where I'm living in a few years time.

Usually catch games by Undercliffe in the Pennine League when I can, or possibly Victoria Rangers. Always enjoy it. Caught a fair bit of Milford Marlins v Thatto Heath a while back at Kirkstall, the standard seemed very good to me.

acorn player in the NCL premier so played a lot of good teams and the standard in the premier is of a very high standard. Iv followed cas all my life but as i am from york an have played a few games for them i like keep an eye on their progress

I played for many a happy year for South Bradford RLFC (the previous incarnation, not the current resurrected club) under the stewardship of Ray Galtress who actually got me into the game of Rugby League.

He took a bunch of young lads who'd never thrown a ball between us from playing football on the village green to a well organised junior club and we competed from Under 11's through to Under 16's until sadly Ray simply wasn't well enough to pick us all up for training and run all the other areas of the junior section needed to simply get a team out every Sunday morning and from there, as far as i know, the club eventually disbanded for a period until their recent reformation a few years ago.

I'm 31 now and in the intervening period i played mostly football rather than rugby, although i had a short period about ten years ago were i played a number of games for Wyke RLFC but work commitments eventually superseded sport and i gave up both football and rugby for good until about 18 months ago. A change of career means that i now have my weekends back and i decided i wanted to give RL another go and so i contacted Wyke RLFC and eventually started going back to training, which although i am a fit lad, wasn't easy given that i hadn't played the game for close to ten years! I really got back into it, got myself registered and played my first game for the 'A' team at Whitworth, which depsite being on the wrong end of a 25-6 beating, played in pouring rain on a sand and mud pit of a pitch was about the most enjoyable weekend i'd had in years (a few pints of Guinness after the game may have rosied the spectacles somewhat).

I then went to work the following week looking forward to the next game but on the Wednesday i was roped into playing a 5-a-side football match after work and went and tore my LCL in my left knee in a tackle and once again the days of playing RL were out of the window!

I'm fully mended now and would potentially like to go back and give it another shot but i'm just not sure i can take having to once again go and mould myself into a group of lads i don't know from Adam and not only that, prove i can actually play the game to a half decent standard and get myself a shirt (even if it means playing for the seconds).

acorn player in the NCL premier so played a lot of good teams and the standard in the premier is of a very high standard. Iv followed cas all my life but as i am from york an have played a few games for them i like keep an eye on their progress

I watched a lot of NCL Premier matches last season and was surprised by just how high the standard was, there are some cracking games for those still wanting a winter fix!

I played for a variety of clubs for 20 odd years, starting as an 18 year old who had never held a rugby ball before in his life for a team started in my home town, Formby, by ex Swinton and Wales hooker Dickie Evans (Lionel Hurst was also involved in the clubs inception). After a first season of making only limited appearances as sub and most often on the wing, I began to play in the front row, alternating between prop and hooker. This in 1982 as a 5' 9'', 13st, 19 year old up against mainly 16st plus blokes in their thirties who had been around the game for donkey’s years.

The amateur game was pretty tough back then, however with the introduction of the new rules (10m gap, handover on the 6th etc) the emphasis started to change to the speedier, skillful version we see today and the old dinosaurs who would happily chop your head off all day long faded away.

When Formby folded in the mid 80s, I ended up going to Pilks in St Helens where I had a regular place in their 2nd team, playing in the NWC 2nd division. However work commitments meant I could no longer train so eventually left and ended up playing for my local union team, where indecently, Faz like I, was moved from my league front row position to centre (as I was told by their coach to "make best use of my speed and handling abilities" ). It was playing union that, filling in the back row of the scrum one game, I tore my crucate (sp) knee ligament keeping me of work for a long period of time.

I got over the injury and started playing again for a team in West Lancashire, Tarleton where I stayed for many years.

I also ended up playing for my university team, John Moores in the early 2000s as a 38 year old. Boy that was a bit tough as all the other players were so much younger and faster , before ending my career at Southport, playing my last game at the age of 42.

I still really miss it , and wouldn't mind finding a decent local team to go and support this winter.

"it is a well known fact that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it."

I just wish they would get the structure of the Leagues sorted out - get rid of most of these pointless,historic Cup Competitions and concentrate on league fixtures,with say a maximum of two Cup Competitions per side.

34 year old, currently play for crigglestone all blacks in the pennine premier. been playing since i were 7. started at bradshaw lane school in warrington. played all over includingdewsbury academy, oxford cavs, RAF, leeds akkies. support cas tigers. cant ever see me stopping playing

Currently playing in the Gold Coast league, Australia for Hinterland Storm, definitly my last season, at 32 I'm feeling the injuries more than ever, Played good level most of open age life : Played for Dewsbury Moor and Shaw Cross Sharks in the conference, Dewsbury Academy, Batley Academy and a year with Batley A team. Represented Heavy Woollen, Yorkshire and BARLA 23's and got called into a Scotland squad but had to pull out with injuries. Also had 2 cameo's for Cork Bulls and Fife Lions in York 9's festival. I always thought I would play on forever but it takes longer to recover now and having just had my tenth broken bone this year, something is telling me to retire gracefully !!! Although Ive already agreed to play in a masters team next year, they play a mix of tackling and touch depending how old you are and they only play once a month so should be able to handle that !!!

Great stuff! Keep it up! Really enjoying yours storied glad to hear how vibrant and the healthy the history of amateur RL and current Amateur RL Is/has been. What a wonderful sport we play, watch & enjoy.

One thing I'm still getting used to is how all my muscle fibres seem to be aching ('screaming'?/burning?) a few hours after a long hard game of RL. Great fun but it's certainly tough on the body.

Edited by HappyDave, 30 July 2010 - 04:58 AM.

"I've never seen a woman with hairy ears... And I've been to St Helens" - John Bishop

I've really enjoyed it but have found the 3 games where I've played the full 80 bloody knackering,

I played in the sixties at U 17. I played Union after that simply because at the time I could no longer afford the bus fares to train twice a week in Ossett/Dewsbury and play on Saturdays. (new girlfriend drain on resources) So I switched to the local Union club.I trained three times a week. Gym on Tuesdays, weights at youth club on Wednesdays, outside on Thurdsdays. And then play Saturdays. I can honestly say that I have never been fitter in my life. And on Saturday nights I was absolutely knackered. New girlfriend wanted to go dancing, and ten pin bowling, I wanted to sit in a pub with a pint. So we started going out on Fridays - funnily enough forty years later we still do.

"This is a very wealthy country, money is no object" D. Cameron February 2014

A lot of Yorkshiremen believe that when God created the world, he made it with perfect balance.
He balanced the hot areas with the cold areas. the dry areas with the wet areas.
And, in creating Yorkshire, he created the most glorious place on earth - full of majestic beauty and sporting giants.........and for balance he created....... Lancashire.

Gaddammit!! That was the third time I've had my ankle raked with metal rugby studs by a teammate in a tackle this season!! (twice in training & in my teams 'friendly' in Corsham yesterday) Hahah. Why me? Hah. The bizarre thing about an ankle rake seems to be minimal skin damage just grazes but the soft tissue underneath becomes swollen/inflamed and sore. Damn! Hah.

Edited by HappyDave, 16 August 2010 - 06:11 PM.

"I've never seen a woman with hairy ears... And I've been to St Helens" - John Bishop